REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 181 
SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 
articles cr answer inquiries concerning matters of public interest. There are effective, 
sure remedies for the destruction of the Pea Weevil, and if growers can be made to 
understand this and see that by adopting them, even at some small trouble, they will 
greatly benefit themselves, while by neglecting them they will injure themselves and 
their neighbours, I have confidence enough in the common sense of Canadian and 
American farmer's, to believe that they will adopt them. 
These remedies will be explained and brought prominently before all who attend 
Farmers’ Institute meetings in Ontario during the coming winter, and object lessons will 
be given during next summer in the pea-growing districts, but even these efforts will 
only reach a comparatively small number of those who are concerned, and every effort 
must be made to bring the importance of the matter before the country. The Boards 
of Trade in Toronto and Montreal have had it under serious discussion. The press of 
the country have done much and can and will do much more. In my official capacity I 
shall do my utmost towards what I believe is possible, the extermination of the Pea 
Weevil in Canada, and, if United States workers will co-operate with Canadians, success 
is assared. 
Under the head of remedies I shall mention what have proved to be the best means 
of destroying the Pea Weevil, and at the same time shall endeavour to anticipate the 
difficulties which may be expected to arise in the adoption of each. 
REMEDIES. 
Cessation of growing.—The Pea Weevil has no other known food plant than the 
cultivated pea; therefore, as this plant will not stand our winters, there is never a 
volunteer crop a second year, so, if no peas are sown, the pest must die out. The 
difivulty in this case is the impossibility of getting everyone where seed peas are grown 
liable to infestation, to give up their cultivation. In the present season seed merchants 
have already laid in their supplies of seed peas for next year’s sowing, and there would 
ke great loss to them, were these high-priced peas ground for feed. 
Fumigation.—Fumigation with bi-sulphide of carbon is a sure remedy. When 
properly done, either in specially constructed buildings known as ‘ bug-houses,’ or in any 
tight bin, every Weevil is surely killed if the seed containing them is subjected for 48 
hours to the vapour of bi-sulphide of carbon used in the proportion of 1 pound by weight 
of the chemical to every 100 bushels of seed, or in smaller quantities, 1 ounce of bi- 
sulphide to every 100 pounds of seed. The discrepancy in the quantities given above is 
due to the fact, that where large quantities are treated at once in specially prepared 
houses there is less waste of the vapour during the necessary exposure of 48 hours. The 
quantity given above of 1 pound to every 100 bushels is that which is regularly used by 
the large seed houses, some of which fumigate from 1,000 to 3,000 bushels at a time. 
The bi-sulphide of carbon should be of the best quality which will vaporise without any 
residue, and the exposure should be for the full 48 hours advised. This treatment should 
be done as soon as possible after harvesting, but may be done at any time when the 
temperature is above freezing. It is important that the bisulphide, which vaporizes 
readily at the temperature mentioned, but more quickly the warmer it is, should do so 
as soon as possible, so that the heavy and deadly vapour, which is much heavier than 
air, should sink down among the peas, where it will in 48 hours kill every weevil in 
the grain. To facilitate the evaporation it is usual to place the bi-sulphide in large 
shallow dishes at the top of the building or bin. As the vapour is very inflammable, 
this work must be done at a distance from other buildings, so that there may be neither 
accidents nor trouble with insurance companies. No lights of any kind, and no smoking 
must be allowed near the buildings where bi-sulphide of carbon is being used. This 
liquid is not more dangerous than naphtha or benzine, but the danger of these is better 
known. 
For the treatment of small quantities of seed, particularly by farmers, I have found 
that an ordinary coal oil barrel is very convenient. This will hold about 5 bushels or 
300 pounds of seed, which may be treated with 3 ounces of bi-sulphide of carbon. Care 
